The present invention relates generally to water circulating systems, and more particularly, to valve assemblies for water circulating systems.
Home and industrial water distribution systems distribute water to various fixtures, including sinks, bathtubs, showers, dishwashers and washing machines, that are located throughout the house or industrial building. The typical water distribution system brings water in from an external source, such as a city main water line or a private water well, to the internal water distribution piping system. The water from the external source is typically either at a cold or cool temperature. One segment of the piping system takes this incoming cold water and distributes it to the various cold water connections located at the fixtures where it will be used (e.g., the cold water side of the faucet at the kitchen sink). Another segment of the piping system delivers the incoming cold water to a water heater which heats the water to the desired temperature and distributes it to the various hot water connections where it will be used (e.g., the hot water side of the kitchen faucet). At the fixture, cold and hot water either flows through separate hot and cold water control valves that are independently operated to control the temperature of the water into the fixture by controlling the flow rate of water from the separate valves, or the water is mixed at a single valve that selectively controls the desired water temperature flowing from the fixture.
A problem with most home and industrial water distribution systems is that hot water is not always readily available at the hot water side of the fixture when it is desired. This problem is particularly acute in water use fixtures that are located a distance from the hot water heater or in systems with poorly insulated pipes. When the hot water side of these fixtures is left closed for some time, such as overnight, the hot water in the hot water segment of the piping system sits in the pipes and cools. As a result, the temperature of the water between the hot water heater and the fixture lowers until it becomes cold or at least tepid. When opened again, it is not at all uncommon for the hot water side of such a fixture to supply cold water through the hot water valve when it is first opened and for some time thereafter. At the sink, bathtub or shower fixture located away from the water heater, the person desiring to use the fixture will either have to use cold or tepid water instead of hot water or wait for the distribution system to supply hot water through the open hot water valve. Most users have learned that to obtain the desired hot water, the hot water valve must be opened and left open for some time so that the cool water in the hot water side of the piping system will flow out ahead of the hot water. For certain fixtures, such as virtually all dishwashers and washing machines (which are not usually provided with a bypass valve), there typically is no method of “draining” away the cold or tepid water in the hot water pipes prior to utilizing the water in the fixture.
The inability to have hot water at the hot water side of the fixture when it is desired creates a number of problems. One problem is having to utilize cold or tepid water when hot water is desired. This is a particular problem for the dishwasher and washing machine fixtures in that hot water is often desired for improved operation of those appliances. Certain dirty dishes and clothes are much easier to clean in hot water as opposed to cold or tepid water. Even in those fixtures where the person can let the cold or tepid water flow out of the fixture until it reaches the desired warm or hot temperature, there are certain problems associated with such a solution. One such problem is the waste of water that flows out of the fixture through the drain and, typically, to the sewage system. This good and clean water is wasted (resulting in unnecessary water treatment after flowing through the sewage system). Water waste is compounded when the person is inattentive and hot water begins flowing down the drain and to the sewage system. Yet another problem associated with the inability to have hot water at the hot water valve when needed is the waste of time for the person who must wait for the water to reach the desired temperature.
The use of bypass valves and/or water recirculation systems in home or industrial water distribution systems to overcome the problems described above have been known for some time. However, these water recirculation systems have problems and limitations. For example, these water recirculation systems are typically operated by a pump and the pump must be operated for a certain cycle time to dispel all of the cooled water from the hot water pipe system before hot water is available at the fixture. Problems arise when hot water is desired at the fixture before the end of a cycle, or when the pump is not running. However, constantly running the pump so that hot water is always available is not economical. Accordingly, the above mentioned problems (e.g. waste of water) are still prevalent in water recirculation systems today.
An additional problem with known bypass valves is that over time and with age the valves, particularly valves that are directly operated by a thermal actuator (such as a wax filled cartridge) tend not to have any toggle action. Instead, after a number of on-off cycles, the valves tend to just throttle the flow until the water reaches an equilibrium temperature, at which time the valve stays slightly cracked open. While this meets the function of keeping the water at a remote fixture hot, leaving the valve in a slightly open condition does present two problems. First, the lack of toggle action can result in scale build-up on the actuator body and/or rod because the rod is constantly extended. At least some known bypass valves utilize screens to filter debris or minerals from the bypass passage. However, these screens tend to clog themselves, limiting the flow to the bypass passage. Second, the open valve constantly bleeds a small amount of hot or almost hot water into the cold water piping, thereby keeping the faucet end of the cold water pipe substantially warm. If truly cold water is desired (i.e., for brushing teeth, drinking, or making cold beverages), then some water must be wasted from the cold water faucet to drain out the warm water. It is also detrimental to have any noticeable crossover flow (siphoning) from hot to cold or cold to hot with any combination of faucet positions, water temperatures, or pump operation.